Sports

All-star lacrosse game set for Peterborough cancelled

There will be no Major Series Lacrosse all-star game in Peterborough this year, after all.

In February, the MSL announced the creation of an all-star game with the inaugural event to be held at the Memorial Centre. On Saturday, league commissioner Jim Brady confirmed the all-star game was cancelled for several reasons.

Brady said there isn't much appetite among players or coaches to participate in an all-star game. He said coaches didn't like putting players at injury risk. There was also no consensus on how to share revenues and concerns about covering costs.

"There were concerns about getting the players out and getting them to Peterborough," said Brady.

Lakers' president Ted Higgins said his team proposed the idea.

"When we had to shrink the schedule from 10 to seven home games," said Higgins. "We thought we'd do anything we can to keep our fan base and the number of games up. We thought the all-star game would give us one of those games back. However, some of the teams around the league thought we were going to make a pile of money out of it and they were going to get very little. The bulk of the teams felt there was a lot in it for us and not much for them."

Higgins said he would have paid players mileage and a gratuity for participating, paid expenses and then split the profits equally among the six teams.

Brady hoped to create a league showcase. He was convinced lacrosse fans in Peterborough would fill the building.

"I thought it would be a good thing," said Brady. "If we could get the participation we need, we'd have a might good all-star team. All the NLL stars pretty much play in our league."

At a league meeting Thursday, Higgins said a new playoff format was finalized for this season. Teams will be split into East and West divisions and play within those divisions for the playoffs. The division winners will meet for the MSL title which this year means hosting the Mann Cup.

Peterborough, Brooklin and Ajax play in the East and Brampton, Six Nations and Kitchener-Waterloo in the West. The first place team in each gets a first-round playoff bye. The winner of the opening best-of-five series will meet the first place team in a best-of-seven. The league final is also a best of seven.

Lakers fans will also notice when they go to purchase season tickets at the Memorial Centre box office they will not get their tickets immediately.

Lakers' treasurer Brian Higgins said the box office is using a new ticketing system this season which requires them to log in personal data for each buyer. Rather than have people wait in line for 15 minutes, Higgins said the box office will take the order, key in the information later and have the tickets waiting at the Will Call window for pick up on game night or later in May.

This is only for this season, said Higgins.

"With this year's new system all ticket data for season's and sponsor's (tickets) has to be re-entered," said Higgins. "In order to do this efficiently and with minimal mistakes, they are taking customer info at the window and locking in seat info, then double checking the data later to be certain it is right. The only alternative would mean people waiting up to 15 minutes while data is entered and verified."

When seasons tickets are settled in early May, the box office will email all ticket holders they can pick up tickets.

"This is the situation for this year only because of the new system," said Higgins. "It will not happen next year."